Film Review: Thor (2011)

Don’t be fooled by the absurd looking previews or pictures; Thor is fantastic, in both senses of the word though.  I, too, had low expectations for it after seeing the initial trailers, which makes it look as tacky as the rest of this year’s superhero flicks, but given the talented cast and director I should’ve known better than to doubt or completely cast it aside.  In fact, some consider it to be Marvel Studios best movie since Iron Man (2008) or even Spiderman 2 (2004).  Still, despite its parallels to Shakespeare, thanks to director Kenneth Branagh’s knowledge and experience in bringing the famous poet’s writings to the big screen, this film isn’t the deepest or most complex; it is definitely a summer blockbuster meant to entertain, but it does have certain elements that elevate it beyond simple amusement.  In sum, Thor is marvelous (pun intended) entertainment and fun fueled by its charismatic lead actor, Chris Hemsworth, sumptuous action and a bit of humor.  Moreover, it is not simply “an extended teaser” for the upcoming The Avengers (2012) movie, despite numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. appearances and references, as it stands on its own as a solid comic-book/fantasy tale.